guide

Start tracking your favorite TV shows

The television season is about to arrive full force.

Soon, most of your favorite television shows, as well as new series, will be making their way into your home. But if you're unsure when your show will come back, you want to catch up, or you simply want to track the show as the season progresses, I have you covered with some great sites.

Let's check them out.

Tracking TV

Hulu...There are few better ways to track your favorite shows than to watch them on Hulu, which is backed by NBC Universal, ABC, and Fox.

Thanks to strategic partnerships that Hulu inked with networks, finding and watching your favorite shows is quick and easy. And since the site is ad-supported, you won't need to worry about doling out cash to watch your shows.

I spend considerable time on Hulu. I caught up with last season's of "Family Guy" on the site. The videos run well. The ads, while a necessary evil, aren't that bad. And the quality is outstanding. Even better, you can embed Hulu videos into your blog, making it a great platform to share your favorite shows with friends.

MyTVRSS...When you first get to MyTVRSS, you'll probably be a little sickened by its design. A black background sitting behind pink type makes the site an extremely unattractive target for your attention. But once you realize you'll spend very little time there, you'll get past it.

MyTVRSS lists every television show currently in production. When you click on one of the links on that site, you'll find a show summary, information on the last episode that aired (assuming it isn't a new show), and the series premiere's date and time. Unfortunately, not all the show listings are as informative as I would have liked. For instance, the site's "The Office" page was great. But its "30 Rock" page didn't feature nearly as much information. Your mileage will vary.

As you sift through all the shows on the site, you can pick those series that you watch most often by checking the box next to their titles. At the bottom of the page is a "Create Feed" option. When you click that button, you'll receive a unique RSS feed that you can add to your reader. That feed will alert you when your shows air. For someone like me who easily forgets a favorite show is on, it's a nice service to have.

Apartment Guide releases Android app

As a young bachelor, I'm no stranger to apartment hunting. Normally, I do my research online, make a list of apartments, and head out in my car to visit the listings. This often turns into a full day event, particularly when I have trouble locating some of the places.

I've often wished for a designated application for my Google Android handset to aid in this process so I was overjoyed when I discovered one last week. Apartments for Android is a new application from Apartment Guide that simplifies the hunting process.

Check out our gallery of Apartments screenshots. … Read more

Shmoop sends your kids to school--online

Shmoop, an online learning tool designed for high-school students, has unveiled several new categories and a whopping 115 iPhone apps.

The site now features study guides on poetry, bestselling books, civics, and biography. It already offered in-depth information on U.S. history and literature.

The timing on Shmoop's announcement is certainly appropriate. School is about to be back in session. Students will be needing Shmoop's online offerings to help them get through class.

But just how they use Shmoop's features is up for debate.

The basics Shmoop is basically a study guide, although the site's founder … Read more

E-mail Service Guide breaks down e-mail plans

If you're contemplating switching to another e-mail provider, but have been too lazy to do a feature comparison of the competition, there's a new tool that might be of assistance. Aptly named E-mail Service Guide takes more than 100 hosted e-mail providers, and lets you comparison shop by feature.

This is handled gracefully with a search tool that lets you plug in which options you want, like whether the service has POP3 and IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) support, or customer service by phone or e-mail so you can talk to an actual human if something goes wrong. … Read more

Good for others, good for you

GoodGuide is the reason we have awards for tech services and products: it's a small and relatively unknown service that demonstrates real leadership on the Web. Anyone who is concerned with the impact their purchasing has on their bodies, the environment, and other people can benefit from the information provided by GoodGuide. And let's face it: such awareness is quite the trend nowadays, and that means demand for such a site is sure to grow going forward.

At it's core, GoodGuide is a product recommendation system focused on safe, healthy, and green products. Along with telling you … Read more

Barnes & Noble shutters how-to site Quamut

Barnes & Noble has quietly shuttered its how-to site Quamut. The site, which was launched back in late March 2008, was a mix of professionally produced how-to guides and user-created wikis, the latter of which are no longer available.

What remains are the 1,685 guides which will continue to be sold both at Barnes & Noble's online store as digital downloads, and at brick-and-mortar stores as laminated paper reference guides. These range anywhere from $2.95 to $5.95 depending on what format they're in.

There's no word yet on whether the company will continue to … Read more

Simple astrology definitions

Learn the meanings behind hundreds of astrological terms by using this simple program. Users who consult this program for guidance will not be disappointed with the no-nonsense direction this program takes.

The interface is a particularly strong aspect of this dictionary. Words are easily scrolled through in a list and the definition is large and easily read. Users can consult the online Help file, but it is very sparse and they will probably have better luck simply clicking around and experimenting. To get a definition, users simply scroll through the alphabetical list along the left-hand side of the program. Once … Read more

Simple EMDR program

EMDR Aid allows users to continue Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy outside their therapist's office. The program's simple interface and functions make it an attractive treatment option.

EMDR should be performed only with the guidance of a qualified therapist, and EMDR Aid makes it clear that this program is not for self-diagnosis or treatment. In fact, users looking to treat themselves without professional guidance will likely be disappointed in this program; there's not much to it. For therapists and their clients who have established an EMDR treatment plan, however, this program may be useful. The interface … Read more

Get Comcast services on your iPhone

The Comcast Mobile App offers a lot of what users have been clamoring for from the popular cable service, but falls just short of being great. You'll now be able to access Comcast e-mails and digital voice mails right from your iPhone, using a touch interface much like Apple's e-mail and voice mail experience, but in a unified in-box for both. An intuitive, tabbed interface lets you quickly switch between new e-mail and voice messages. A separate Digital Voice section offers more options, listing missed calls, outgoing calls, and voice mail. There is also an included address book … Read more

iPhone OS 3.0 User Guides for iPhone, iPod Touch

Apple released updated User Guides for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The guides, which cover the new features of iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3G S, total more than 350 pages combined.

You can download the 213 page guide for the iPhone here (PDF) and the 153 page guide for the iPod touch here (PDF).